Letter: Bringing joy through singing on the bus

Thursday

Mar 20, 2014 at 7:00 PM

My son drives a school bus for our local school district. One of his runs includes picking up the disabled children and taking them to school.

One day, before Christmas when a hard winter was already setting in, the students got on the bus and were very quiet. My son decided to cheer things up a bit, so he began singing Christmas carols. No one joined in. But the next morning, several little voices were heard — and the next morning — and the next morning — until soon, the whole busload was singing. “Jingle Bells,” “Joy to the World,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” — they sang them all.

Then it happened — one little boy who never talks, got on the bus, took his seat, and yelled to the driver, “sing ‘Jingle Bells,’ sing ‘Jingle Bells!’” And so they did. It became a morning ritual singing carols.

It’s long after Christmas now, but the children are still singing. If they reach the school before the last song is done, that’s okay. There’s always tomorrow — and “Jingle bells, jingle bells.”